*****Fulham v Manchester City***** official match thread

[Ted Hughes]

Thanks Ted.
I saw a very decent performance and effort, perhaps I just failed to be that much impressed as You report.
More than glad to stand corrected by Your assessment of it. Perhaps was just my nice assaulting me on the couch from time to time that prevented me to have a proper understanding... ;)

Still not completely impressed by Bob, continuing to get off Tevez instead of Sergio (whose game fitness is still under refurbishment) and very much looking forward to see how he will react to Edin performances and commitment of late: I still have to digest the fact that Dzeko didn't started at Bernabeu and Britannia!
I have less problem with entering Mario ahead of him yesterday cuz, if nothing Mario is the most impact player we have on the team: I mean the one who can sort it out with a superb shot or a moment of pure brillance when he's on his days.

Barca are not totally impressive in a fair amount of their away games, but the method; the pressure, the quick passing & the underlying threat that they are about to score, was there in City's performance.

[london blue 2]

Just to back up Teds stats

BBc still have 50-50

ESPN Stats


MATCH STATS

FulhamManchester City
7(3) Shots (on goal) 23(7)
8 Fouls 12
2 Corner kicks 4
1 Offsides 2
29% Time of Possession 71%
0 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
5 Saves 2

[Blue Since 76]

Just to back up Teds stats

BBc still have 50-50

Sky have us having 71.1% possession. Saw an explanation from Opta a few months ago about how different companies calculate it differently. One method has a chess type clock where you swap between the two teams depending on who has the ball. However, if you knock the ball out for a throw in you keep possession until the opposition actually put it back in play. Therefore if you're defending and giving away loads of corners, free kicks and throw ins it ends upcoming like you have loads of possession.

Opta use a different system which seemed better but I can't remember how it worked. Think it checked against percentage of passes played as well, although a team with players who dribble a lot would therefore be penalised.

I watched the 40 minute highlights on Sky and there was no way Fulham had 50% of the ball unless they edited out every time they had it.

[Ted Hughes]

Just to back up Teds stats

BBc still have 50-50

Sky have us having 71.1% possession. Saw an explanation from Opta a few months ago about how different companies calculate it differently. One method has a chess type clock where you swap between the two teams depending on who has the ball. However, if you knock the ball out for a throw in you keep possession until the opposition actually put it back in play. Therefore if you're defending and giving away loads of corners, free kicks and throw ins it ends upcoming like you have loads of possession.

Opta use a different system which seemed better but I can't remember how it worked. Think it checked against percentage of passes played as well, although a team with players who dribble a lot would therefore be penalised.

I watched the 40 minute highlights on Sky and there was no way Fulham had 50% of the ball unless they edited out every time they had it.

And we have yet again managed to concede 4 more free kicks than the side who had the ball only 29% of the time. Amazing how often we seem to manage that.

[s1ty m]

If they count possession when lining up a free kick, for example, Fulham would add 10% on. On several occasions, their time wasting with free kicks was amazing. Well done Fulham, worked a treat.

[Beefymcfc]

Every report I have seen as a 70% stat for our possession yet the Beeb seem to be the only one reporting 50. Selective stat capture I'd say ;-)

[Dameerto]

Even a subjective finger in the wind gut feeling should tell anyone who watched the game we had the vast majority of possession.

[Ted Hughes]

Even a subjective finger in the wind gut feeling should tell anyone who watched the game we had the vast majority of possession.

Or just any kind of person with any basic knowledge of sport, it wouldn't even need to be a knowledge of football, just any person who had ever seen any kind of team sport would go " this team is totally all over that one" . The only way any person involved in any sport anywhere would miss that, is if they had to make the judgement by watching the BBC's edit.